Women's menstrual cycle phase and reproductive stage effect levels of irritability and anger
New study suggests women more emotionally aroused premenses than postmenses and during early menopause transition phase
CLEVELAND, Ohio (May 28, 2025)—The menopause transition can take a physical as well as a mental and emotional toll on many women. A new study suggests that emotions such as anger, irritability, and feeling out of control may be more pronounced based on a woman’s menstrual cycle phase and her reproductive age. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.
There has been a lot of research dedicated to understanding women’s experiences with depression because of hormone changes, but women’s experiences of emotional arousal, including anxiety, irritability, and anger have received less attention. A group of researchers recently decided to change that by studying more than 200 women to determine the effect of menstrual cycle phase and reproductive age on a woman’s likelihood of being emotionally aroused. Most of these women were partnered, employed, and white.
Through their research, they discovered that participants experienced greater severity of anger, irritability, and feeling out of control during premenses rather than postmenses and more severe irritability, impatience, and feeling out of control symptoms during the early menopause transition (when a woman’s ovaries begin to produce less estrogen and cause noticeable changes in the body) rather than the late reproductive phase (the period immediately before the menopause transition characterized by subtle changes in menstrual flow and cycle length).
In addition, the research demonstrated that many women begin to experience symptoms often associated with the menopause transition even as early as the late reproductive stage, although these women typically experience increasing severity of these arousal symptoms as they continue through the transition. Because the research mostly involved women who were continuing to have menstrual cycles, it was not possible to conclude whether arousal symptoms continue to vary during later stages of reproductive aging when their cycles become markedly irregular.
Results of the study are published in the article “Effects of menstrual cycle phases and reproductive aging stages on arousal symptoms: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study.”
“The findings of this study highlight what women have been telling us for years—that they experience anger and irritability and feel out of control just before their menstrual cycles and that this is more pronounced in the menopause transition. The results also speak to the need to better support women both physically and emotionally as they go through this universal life transition,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.
For more information about menopause and healthy aging, visit www.menopause.org.
The Menopause Society (formerly The North American Menopause Society) is dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals and providing them with the tools and resources to improve the health of women during the menopause transition and beyond. As the leading authority on menopause since 1989, the nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization serves as the independent, evidence-based resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, the media, and the public and leads the conversation about improving women’s health and healthcare experiences. To learn more, visit menopause.org.
Journal
Menopause
Method of Research
Data/statistical analysis
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Effects of menstual cycle phases and reproductive aging stages on arousal symptoms: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study
Article Publication Date
28-May-2025
Hot flashes may be less bothersome for vegans
New analysis demonstrates that a plant-based diet is effective for the management of weight and hot flashes
The Menopause Society
CLEVELAND, Ohio (May 28, 2025)—Remember your mother telling you to eat your vegetables because they’re good for you? Mom was right. Not only is a low-fat vegan diet proven to reduce body weight and hot flashes, but a secondary data analysis shows that vegans get these same great results even if highly processed plant-based foods are consumed. Results of the analysis are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.
Research has shown that a low-fat vegan diet—specifically one supplemented with soybeans—can reduce body weight and hot flashes. Studies have also already shown that diets high in ultraprocessed foods lead to increased calorie intake and weight gain compared with diets emphasizing unprocessed or minimally processed foods. This is because ultraprocessed foods often have a higher energy density, meaning they are more calorie-rich for their size. Ultraprocessed foods are also often high in added sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium, while being low in fiber and other essential nutrients.
That’s why a team of researchers opted to conduct a secondary analysis of previously published data to determine whether the origin of the food (animal vs plant based) affected the relationship between changes in processed food intake and body weight, as well as changes in hot flash severity. Participants were randomly assigned to a low-fat vegan diet supplemented with soybeans or an omnivorous control group. The groups were comparable in terms of the number and severity of hot flashes at baseline.
After 12 weeks, severe hot flashes were reduced by 92% in the vegan group and did not change significantly in the control group. Mean body weight decreased by 3.6 kg in the vegan group and 0.2 kg in the control group. More specifically, the researchers found that these decreases were not affected by the consumption of highly processed versus minimally processed foods. What mattered most was whether the food consumed was animal- or plant-based, thus confirming the researchers’ hypothesis that animal- and plant-based foods would affect body weight differently even if they were equally processed. This analysis may have significant implications for specific dietary recommendations for menopausal women.
Results of the secondary analysis are published in the article “Processed foods in the context of a vegan diet, and changes in body weight and severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.”
“This study highlights the potential positive effects of a plant-based diet rich in soy (regardless of the level of processing) in terms of both hot flash and weight management. Given these and the other known benefits in terms of lowering heart disease and cancer risk, women in midlife should consider leaning into a plant-based diet,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.
For more information about menopause and healthy aging, visit www.menopause.org.
The Menopause Society (formerly The North American Menopause Society) is dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals and providing them with the tools and resources to improve the health of women during the menopause transition and beyond. As the leading authority on menopause since 1989, the nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization serves as the independent, evidence-based resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, the media, and the public and leads the conversation about improving women’s health and healthcare experiences. To learn more, visit menopause.org.
Journal
Menopause
Method of Research
Randomized controlled/clinical trial
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Processed foods in the context of a vegan diet, and changes in body weight and severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial
Article Publication Date
28-May-2025
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